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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. suit — in cards
  9. last — finally
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. last — to go on
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rash — a series
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ball — a dance
  20. last — final
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com